[Scoop]

How about this?

I've got two customers who I have a cup of tea with religiously. One of them is an 82 year old lady who is almost completely immobile and who has carers in 3 times a day. She's so lonely that she always enjoys a chat.

Last month she asked me about her Freeview box. Wasn't working properly and she had to crawl to the tele twice a day to switch it off and on. So I got her the Freeview number and with all their advertising about help for the elderly I was confident she was in good hands. Told her to call me if there was a problem.

I saw her again yesterday and she'd called Freeview. They said she didn't qualify because she already had a Freeview box and the scheme was only for people who didn't have one. Thanks a lot.

So she got the Yellow Pages out and called the first one on the list. They came and installed a box for her which works a treat. Well, it should do for a hundred and forty-six quid. Not bad for 20 minutes work including the 'technician' using her loo and unscrewing the special raised seat she uses which resulted in her falling off it later on in the day.

I asked her why hadn't she phoned me? I could have got her one from ASDA for £18 and fitted it for nothing. She didn't want to disturb me. This makes my blood boil. We work damn hard for our corn. Why should people like this be out fleecing the elderly and leaving them thinking they've been charged the right price? Never mind the scams that are reported. There must be hundreds like this one that are never broght to light.

(Oh, and of course when she got her cheque book out he said he'd prefer cash).

[cozy]

Bad news that mate. I had a little old lady as a custy years ago. She was about 90. Cracking humour. I would've cleaned her windows for nothing really. She always ordered fresh cake from the baker when she knew I was coming. I'd leave her house till last so we could chat and I could stuff cake down my neck! 

If I had heard that some jerk had ripped her off, I think I'd lose it mate.

[R W C™]

I got a call from a old boy today at about 11am this morning, telling me he had got my number from one of my custys, I told him id be there once id finished work but id give him a call a hour before I arrive so that he could pop out if needed, the man was about 80,I thought it was a one offwindow clean on a big bungalow, dont normally do one offs but I thought id do this one as he seemed like a nice old boy, so I said £25, which is lower then normal as they hadnt been done in ages, he said what for all this and pointed too his cladding, fascias and soffits and gutters, which was really green, so I thought id give him my lowest price as I didnt want to take the mickbut wanted too do the job so his house looked nice so I said £95, his response was "im not paying that" then after a short paws he said "ill have £140 in cash waiting for you when you get here, we all gotta make a living son all I want is the same workmanship that you do for mr & mrs ******" I was gobsmacked.....

[bobby p]

id not accept 140, 110 tops

[Ste M]

Part of this job That I really love is my old customers that have a nice chat. I often do extra bits for them for nothing like clearing the odd gutter or wiping facias down. When you listen to their stories and you find out about their lives I feel kind of glad that I can give them something back. When I do price increases I also always try to leave the oaps out of it as their strapped enough as it is

[colin purewater]

TW@TS   carma will catch'em all up